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Tag Archives: degrowth
Grappling with growth
Grappling with growth Synergies and tensions between degrowth and people’s movements We live in an age of converging crises. Only days ago the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published a damning report on the state of the environmental crisis. At the same time, while a few countries are recuperating from the pandemic, an on-going […]
Buying our way out of pandemic malaise is hurting the planet, experts say
Buying our way out of pandemic malaise is hurting the planet, experts say Some say the emphasis should be on well-being rather than economic growth People line up to shop in Toronto. As COVID-19 cases eased in recent months, provinces have relaxed restrictions and encouraged people to spend again. But the emphasis on economic growth […]
It’s a Trap, Don’t Do It
It’s a Trap, Don’t Do It My last article focused on mindsets and how they can lead us into traps. One of the most pervasive of these traps is the energy trap. People are constantly searching for new types of energy, new energy generation, and/or ways to improve energy efficiency, ALL of which unfortunately are ultimately […]
The Necessary Climate Solution No-one is Talking About
The Necessary Climate Solution No-one is Talking About For all the talk of renewable energy, electric vehicles and plant-based diets, there’s a gaping hole in the way we’re trying to solve accelerating climate change. We will not stay below 2°C of warming while pursuing economic growth – yet barely anyone talks about it. Since the end of […]
On Degrowth
On Degrowth “The Good Life” mural painted by Amanda Lynn, Forestville, Califonria, 2021. Photo: Kamran Nayeri. What is degrowth? Degrowth is an ambiguous label used by different currents that have emerged or have been reconsidered as such since the 1960s when the contemporary environmentalist movement got underway. The bulk of these movements identify as Greens although it […]
Today’s Contemplation: Collapse Cometh XXV
Today’s Contemplation: Collapse Cometh XXV Tulum, Mexico (1986) Photo by author This contemplation was prompted by an article regarding an ‘independent’ think tank’s report that presented the argument that government funding of the oil and gas industry needed to be shifted towards ‘green/clean’ alternatives. I’ve included a few hyperlinks to sites that expand upon the concepts/issues discussed. […]
The suburbs are the spiritual home of overconsumption. But they also hold the key to a better future
The suburbs are the spiritual home of overconsumption. But they also hold the key to a better future Suburban affluence is the defining image of the good life under capitalism, commonly held up as a model to which all humanity should aspire. More than half of the world’s population now lives in cities. Yet with the […]
Portrayals of Degrowth in the Press: ‘Free market magic’ vs ‘Radical doomsayers’
Portrayals of Degrowth in the Press: ‘Free market magic’ vs ‘Radical doomsayers’ In October 2020, I analysed press coverage of degrowth in Western European (English language) newspapers and magazines between January 2015 and October 2020. Using media theory concepts such as agenda setting and framing, my research explored how degrowth is being considered in the […]
How We End Consumerism
How We End Consumerism
Today’s Contemplation: Collapse Cometh XV
Today’s Contemplation: Collapse Cometh XV Rome, Italy (1984) Photo by author Energy. It’s at the core of everything we do. Everything. Yet we take it for granted and rarely think about it and what the finiteness of our various energy sources means for us. As Gail Tverberg of Our Finite World concludes in a recent thought-provoking article that should […]
Degrowth and law – how to combine these concepts?
Degrowth and law – how to combine these concepts? Reconciling degrowth and law isn’t always easy, given the anarchist underpinnings and anti-statist leanings of some in the degrowth community. One vision of a degrowth world is of decentralized, autonomous, convivial communities of people in tune with their supporting ecosystems, consuming no more than they need, sharing as much as possible and treating each […]
The anti-colonial politics of degrowth
The anti-colonial politics of degrowth As degrowth ideas speed their way into social movements and academic research, they have encountered some interesting critiques. In a recent contribution to this Virtual Forum, Huber (2021) dismissed degrowth as a preoccupation of middle-class environmentalists in the global North who feel “anxiety” about excess consumption. Such a movement, he argues, can […]
Do You Believe in Magic?
Do You Believe in Magic? The people pretending to run the world’s financial affairs do. The more layers of abstract game-playing they add to the existing armatures of unreality they’ve already constructed, the more certain it becomes that they will blow up all the support systems of a sunsetting hyper-tech economy that now has no […]
Presidents Day: Carter’s Prescient Farewell Address in 1981
Presidents Day: Carter’s Prescient Farewell Address in 1981 Regardless of our opinions about President Carter and his legacy, his Farewell Address is worthy of our attention and study. On Presidents Day 2021, I invite you to read/watch President Carter’s Farewell Address from 40 years ago. As a Washington outsider, Carter was relentlessly mocked and undermined by […]
Degrowing for peace? Tackling structural violence and climate resilience
Degrowing for peace? Tackling structural violence and climate resilience The United Nations’ 2030 Agenda sets out global priorities, calling on countries to take “transformative steps which are urgently needed to shift the world onto a sustainable and resilient path”. The Agenda seeks to strengthen universal peace as part of a holistic agenda, bringing together social, environmental, and […]
